[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 68 (Friday, May 14, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E856]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   TRIBUTE TO THE PHYSICIANS, CONSULTING PHYSICIANS AND EMPLOYEES OF 
                       STONEWALL JACKSON HOSPITAL

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. BOB GOODLATTE

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 13, 2004

  Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Speaker, it is with great honor that I recognize 
Stonewall Jackson Hospital and the over thirty physicians, more than 80 
consulting physicians and 200 dedicated employees who provide the warm 
professionalism and the personal touch that patients have come to 
expect from their local hospital.
  Stonewall Jackson Hospital is located in the historic city of 
Lexington, Virginia and they are celebrating their fiftieth anniversary 
in the same location.
  Since this week is National Hospital and Healthcare week, I think it 
is only fitting to recognize the important contributions that Stonewall 
Jackson Hospital and their employees have made to our community.
  Stonewall Jackson Hospital (SJH) is the primary healthcare provider, 
serving the communities of Lexington, Buena Vista and the surrounding 
Rockbridge County. Stonewall Jackson Hospital is a non-profit, critical 
access hospital dedicated to quality care and patient comfort.
  Stonewall Jackson Hospital began in 1907 with the dedication of a 
group of local women--The United Daughters of the Confederacy--and the 
financial and logistical support of the local community.
  Mary Anna Morrison Jackson, widow of Thomas ``Stonewall'' Jackson 
wanted to start a nursing home for older ladies. This was an effort to 
preserve the only home ``Stonewall'' had ever owned; it was being 
considered for demolition and replacement with a community building. 
The United Daughters of the Confederacy (UDC), looking for a fitting 
memorial for T.J. Jackson, approached Mrs. Jackson in 1901 about buying 
the home for use as a hospital. Mrs. Jackson consented and Stonewall 
Jackson Memorial Hospital officially opened in 1907. The UDC held a 
``shower'' to provide linens and pantry items to the new hospital.
  For the next fifty years the women of the UDC financed, supported, 
and managed the affairs of the hospital. It was a struggle for the 
hospital to survive. At this time, doctors made house calls. No one 
went to the hospital for treatment unless they were very seriously ill. 
Hospitals were thought to be for the insane and the desperately ill 
only. In the first five years of operation, Stonewall Jackson Hospital 
saw only 26 patients.
  The increase of knowledge pertaining to infection and the growth of 
the community, eventually prompted doctors to centralize their services 
at the hospital, requiring patients to come to them, rather than the 
other way around.
  Commitment and support through the last century allowed the hospital 
to grow, expand, and move to its current location. In 1954, Stonewall 
Jackson Hospital moved across town to its present site. An enhanced 
structure was completed on the same site in 2002.
  The recently completed, state-of-the-art medical facility blends 
modern technology with comfort, cutting-edge equipment with small-town 
hospitality. Stonewall Jackson Hospital truly redefines healthcare in 
the community.

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